


Out in the Light

by pickledbrows



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Friendship, M/M, One Shot, Platonic Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 23:46:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8598586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickledbrows/pseuds/pickledbrows
Summary: The Cup of China is over and Yuuri can't help but worry a little about what he and Viktor did in front of an entire rink audience and the televised world. There's at least one person other than Viktor who has always supported Yuuri in a way nobody else could, and he's here tonight, ready with a reminder of days gone by.A Yuuri and Phichit friendship story.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Bless Phichit and Yuuri and their friendship. The ultimate broship. I have this headcanon that Phichit is openly gay when he isn't at home in his country and that Yuuri started embracing his sexuality more when he started living with Phichit back in Detroit. Do I think they were romantically involved? No. But I think there's something special about their friendship that Yuuri has never had with anyone else.
> 
> Please enjoy and drop a comment if you can!

Photos and interviews. Journalists and announcers. Yuuri had experience with taking the podium at an event, but never would he have dreamed that he’d be such a hot topic. A quick look at social media showed that his name had been trending at one point throughout the Cup of China and everyone, from the backstage staff to that Japanese announcer guy who had hounded him after his failure at last year’s Grand Prix Final, reiterated his burst of fame.

He’d swung through various celebratory dinners throughout the night and this last one—Viktor swore it would be over after this—had been easy to get out of, what with everyone being past the point of sober. When Viktor and another coach began wrestling over the last crab leg, Yuuri took the chance to slip away and step outside. He’d had a few drinks so the fresh air cooled his heated skin, and his heart was pounding in his ears, a sign that he was more than a little buzzed.

“Yuuri, you’re here!”

Yuuri glanced up in surprise when he saw Phichit making his way over. The Thai skater moved quickly but unsteadily and when he made it to Yuuri’s side, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and leaned against him, close enough for Yuuri to catch the alcohol on his breath. 

“I was going to message you, but then Ciao Ciao said we had to go to dinner, but I didn’t want to eat dinner, I’ve been eating dinner forever!” Phichit said and began rambling on about the different foods he’d had.

Yuuri wrapped an arm around his friend’s waist to help steady him and led the way to a fence across the restaurant entrance that they could lean against. Several people were still out on the streets and luckily none of them recognized either him or Phichit. The last thing he wanted was to do an interview while tipsy.

“—And then they said the soup would be spicy, but it wasn’t! They don’t know spicy,” Phichit continued, rocking from one foot to the next, “Remember in Detroit when we had Thai food and your mouth turned into a volcano?”

Yuuri chuckled because that had been their first dinner as roommates. “You said it wouldn’t be that spicy!”

“You said you’d had Thai food before!” Phichit teased. 

“Not like that! I thought I had burns in my mouth!” Yuuri groaned and glanced at his friend when he felt him turn. He leaned away when he saw the twinkling mischief in Phichit’s eyes.

“Viktor could just kiss it better.”

Yuuri almost couldn’t hear the words over the pounding of his increasing heartbeat.

“W-what? Don’t say weird things,” he murmured and tried to shake Phichit off, but a drunk Phichit was as persistent as a drunk Viktor, and Yuuri was resigned to having his arm trapped in a vice.

“You don’t need to be shy. Everyone saw it and I’m not even the one posting it online,” Phichit said and when Yuuri looked away in embarrassment, he laughed.

Yuuri had almost forgotten about the rather public display of affection he’d shared with Viktor out on the ice. When they’d stood up, he’d had a mental crisis upon realization that his parents might’ve seen, but he’d tucked the issues away when he saw the army of cameras and microphones coming for him. Now, all the dark thoughts were springing up and he had no excuse to push them down. 

Something brushed against his cheek followed by a long inhale, and his head turned sharply to the side, eyes wide and staring at his friend who’d quickly moved away from the affectionate gesture. There was a smile on Phichit’s face and his eyes were brimming with understanding and acceptance. 

“P-Phichit…”

Yuuri felt a hand slip into his own, warming his frozen fingers, and when it squeezed he couldn’t help but return the gesture. 

“Remember when we kissed in our room?” Phichit said, voice low and soothing.

Yuuri nodded. How could he forget?

Phichit grinned and leaned against him, arm to arm, and his thumb began tracing circles over Yuuri’s skin. He shifted so that their hands were hidden behind their coats, and Yuuri smiled to himself at the gesture as he silently reminisced.

His kiss with Phichit had been the first comfortable kiss he’d shared with anyone, and he’d been surprised at how natural it felt. They’d been sitting on his bed after a hard day of practice, feet cleaned and bandaged and two bags of chips open on the sheets. The late-night snack was retaliation against their coach’s unfair words earlier that day, and when Yuuri had leaned over to grab more chips, Phichit’s mouth had suddenly pressed to his.

He couldn’t remember how long the kiss had lasted, but he recalled the flavor of cheddar cheese from Phichit’s junk food of choice. When they’d pulled apart, Phichit simply went back to eating and Yuuri could only stare at the game he’d been playing on his phone. He hadn’t felt embarrassed and there hadn’t been a flood of questions in his head. The situation was so bizarrely normal that they’d never talked about it. They never had to.

From the start, Phichit had expressed an enviable comfort with himself and his body, and Yuuri didn’t have to guess that his roommate was attracted to men. He talked openly about secret boyfriends from high school and crushes he had on other male skaters, and when some American boys had flirted with them during the few nights they went out, he returned the compliments with practiced ease. 

Never once did Yuuri feel like he had to tell Phichit to tone it down, but many times he found himself confused about his own sexuality. When Phichit kissed him that night, it was a turning point, a moment in which Yuuri finally understood himself. Judging by the smile his friend had given him afterwards, he guessed that Phichit could sense that he’d come to terms with an answer to the silent question that had hovered over his head for years.

“You know, when you kissed me…”

Yuuri paused, unsure of how to word his feelings properly. Phichit squeezed his hand again and Yuuri turned to face him. His heartbeat had gone back to normal and the cold air as well as time had managed to sober him up.

“When you, when we…”

Yuuri met his eyes then looked away before looking back again. Over and over his vision shifted from one place to the next, and Phichit patiently waited for him to find his words, his inexhaustible smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. He gave a small nod of encouragement and Yuuri inhaled deeply.

“Thank you,” he said with a shuddered breath and repeated the words softly in the language Phichit had taught him years ago.

Phichit responded by reaching up to wrap his arms around Yuuri's shoulders, and he chuckled when he received a tight hug in return.

When they separated, Yuuri heard his name being called and looked over to see Viktor standing at the front of the restaurant. He quickly released his friend’s hand and looked down as Viktor came over and pleasantly exchanged greetings with Phichit. 

“You’re missing dessert!” Viktor whined, grabbing Yuuri’s arm with the intent to drag him back inside.

“Viktor, I’m done for the night. Can’t we just go back?” Yuuri protested. At his side, he saw a flash, and his mouth fell open when he realized Phichit was snapping pictures again. “Phichit!”

“Let’s take a photo together! Two golds and a silver!” he said and linked arms with Yuuri, phone up and finger ready. 

Viktor cheered and squeezed in on Yuuri’s other side, leaving him no choice but to give up and smile. He broke out into a laugh when Phichit squished him closer to Viktor and reached down to wrap an arm in thanks around his friend’s waist. Phichit was doing it again, letting him know without words that he approved and supported Yuuri’s love, and for this, Yuuri could do nothing more than be grateful.


End file.
